


Both the Joyous and the Tragic

by Kaetien SaDiablo (Shadowcat)



Category: Black Jewels - Anne Bishop
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:51:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9489866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Kaetien%20SaDiablo
Summary: Times are changing and Dena Nehele is in the path of destruction.These are the last moments of Arabella Ardelia, better known as Lia, Queen of Dena Nehele.





	

_If you listen closely, they will tell you the name of those who have died ..._

When a heart breaks, most people don't actually _feel_ the pain or see what the devastation left in the wake of such a thing happening.

However, Thera of Dena Nehele was not one of those people that were luckily blind to the effects of a heart breaking. This was especially true when it was the heart of the land that was breaking.

She sat on the bed, holding her Queen's hand and trying to plead with her.

"Jared. We should send for Jared, Lia. He would want to be here."

"We can't," Arabella Ardelia, Queen of Dena Nehele struggled to breathe as she got the words out. "They are needed elsewhere." She fought to draw more air. "There is nothing he could do here anyway. There is nothing that can be done for me."

"His friend," Thera insisted. "He could contact his friend that saved your life from the poison before."

Lia barely managed to shake her head. "He won't make it in time, Thera, and you and I both know this." She swallowed, her eyes dark with pain. "Besides, you and I both know that there is nothing that can be done for me now. There is no cure for this poison." She pressed Thera's hand. "Nothing can counteract Witch Blood."

"I could be wrong. Maybe it's not Witch Blood at all!" There was a desperation in the Black Widow's voice as she fought back tears.

"We both know that is not the case, Sister of my heart. You saw this day long ago. You showed me how to read what you were seeing."

"But I didn't see you being poisoned like this!" Thera argued. "I didn't see you being attacked by the very Landen you were helping!"

"I know enough to know that tangled webs don't always show the why and how of everything," she rasped. "We thought that we knew all of the enemies of Dena Nehele and we were wrong." She looked at Thera. "I want you to run to the camp in the mountains, Thera. I want you to get as far away from here as you can. Get to somewhere safe. The Rogues will protect you."

Thera shook her head. "No, Lia, no," she whispered. "I can't do that. I can't leave Dena Nehele -- not when I'm needed to finish the work that we have started."

"I recall well what else you saw in that web, Thera."

Tears slid down Thera's cheeks as she shook her head again. "I will face what I have to face even as you have, my Queen and my Sister. I will not leave Dena Nehele unprepared for the future." She swallowed and leaned forward to touch her forehead to Lia's sweaty one. "I will not abandon everything that we have worked for. I gave you my promise of service long ago and I have never regretted that."

"I would have you live, Thera!" Her voice cracked as she tried to squeeze her friend and sister's hand.

"It's not meant to be, Lia," Thera said with more calm than she felt. "My life is not worth the loss of all of Dena Nehele's heritage and her history. Dorothea has done her best to destroy everything we are, Lia. I will not let her succeed no matter what I must face. You never ran from the danger and neither will I."

"I meant to be _with_ you when we faced what is coming. I would never have wished you to do the rest of our work alone."

"And you _have_ faced it with me, Lia. You've been a wonderful Queen and an even better friend. I can't have prayed to the Darkness for anyone better to serve." She ran her free hand shakily through Lia's limp hair. "I only hope that I have served you well and been the friend that you have deserved."

"Best and truest friend, Thera," Lia whispered. "The best friend I could ever have wished for."

"This isn't how it was supposed to be," Thera whispered in response. "I didn't see it happen like this."

"Maybe not this way specifically, but you did see my death in your tangled webs."

"And mine as well." Thera reminded her dying Queen.

"And yours as well, but yours does not _have_ to happen."

"Lia, I told you --"

"I know, my friend. I know you will not leave until the spells are triggered and the fail-safes are in place." She swallowed. "I won't argue with you on that any longer since you are correct in that we _must_ protect Dena Nehele's heritage at all costs." She swallowed, her entire body shuddering. "But you must promise me --" Pain cut off her voice as she struggled to speak.

"Easy, Lia, take it easy." She reached for a cloth to drip some of the cold water into her friend's mouth. "You need to save your strength."

"There's no use trying that and you know it. But I must say this." Her hand tightened on Thera's momentarily. "After you do what must be done, promise me that you will _try_ to get to the safety of the mountains. Promise me you will try. The Rogues will protect you and you can send for Blaed."

"I will try to get there," Thera said softly. "But my duty to Dena Nehele comes first. It's no different than you, but I have to finish what you cannot."

Lia sighed softly. "Tell Jared that I love him and I'm sorry."

"There is nothing that you have to be sorry about."

"I told him I would be safe without him when he went to fight on the border." Now there were tears sliding down Lia's face. "I promised him all would be well if he went to fight."

"He'll understand," Thera reassured her. "Your Territory comes first and he knows that. He went to fight for our people every bit as much as he went to fight for you."

Lia's body shuddered again and Thera swallowed back her distress. She had done everything she knew how in order to ease Lia's pain, but she could only do so much.

Witch Blood did not offer an easy death.

"Honey Pear juice?" Lia asked softly. "Is there any left?"

Thera nodded and gave her a faint smile. "It's on the dresser. Give me a moment and I will get you a glass."

Thera didn't have the energy to even float the pitcher and a glass over to them because she had used so much of herself in an attempt to heal and save Lia. Squeezing Lia's hand gently, she eased up off of the bed and went to the dresser where the juice was. When she turned around to go back, she choked on a sob and the glass dropped from her hand.

Lia was _gone_.

Thera stumbled to the bed and dropped to her knees on the floor beside it. She buried her face in the edge of the blanket and fought back her sobs.

"May the Darkness keep you, my friend."

She hoped that somewhere, Lia was waiting in the Darkness and that they would see each other again.

However, for now, there were things that were left to do. There were things she needed to set into motion before too many people discovered that the gray-jeweled Queen of Dena Nehele was no more.


End file.
